Education Department Rescinds Grand Canyon University Fine
College alleged it was targeted by Biden administration
The U.S. Department of Education has rescinded a $37.7 million fine that had been levied against Grand Canyon University. The Biden administration had claimed that the university “substantially misrepresented” the cost of its doctoral programs, a charge that drew national attention and debate.
“The facts clearly support our contention that we were wrongly accused of misleading our doctoral students, and we appreciate the recognition that those accusations were without merit,” University President Brian Mueller said. “GCU is a leader in innovation, transparency and best practices in higher education, and we look forward to working cooperatively with the department in the future — just as we have with all regulatory agencies.”
The proposed fine was by far the largest the Department of Education had ever levied against a university, marking a significant moment for regulatory oversight. GCU filed an appeal, maintaining that the unsubstantiated accusations were gross mischaracterizations based on isolated, out-of-context statements from certain enrollment documents. In fact, the government was provided extensive evidence that GCU students receive robust information about the time, cost and credits needed to complete a doctoral degree throughout their enrollment and onboarding process.
Moreover, GCU maintains that its disclosures surrounding continuation courses, which are common in higher education doctoral programs, provide more information than is legally required or that other universities typically provide. As such, GCU has consistently insisted that it would contest any fine amount — even $1, let alone $37.7 million. The dismissal of the fine action coincides with other regulatory bodies and courts that also have refuted allegations that GCU misrepresented the cost and credits of a doctoral program:
• Two federal courts previously rejected similar allegations related to GCU’s doctoral disclosures in Young v GCU.
• The Higher Learning Commission deemed the University’s disclosures “robust and thorough” in its 2021 comprehensive review.
• The Arizona State Approving Agency of the Department of Veterans Affairs in March 2024 found “no substantiated findings” in its audit that looked at GCU’s disclosures and processes.
Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and one of the largest in the nation. According to its website, “the university’s curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates, both in-person and online, and individual attention from instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals.” The news arrives as questions about federal oversight in higher education remain in the national spotlight.
–Alan Goforth
